Hearing Jack's words, Black Maria gently leaned her head down, resting against his chest. She spoke softly, her voice laced with teasing:
"Jack, you sure know a lot."
Jack held her tighter, his mind wandering into dangerous territory. A mischievous grin spread across his face as he whispered suggestively:
"I know a lot about other things too. Want to try sometime?"
"Heh... you?" Black Maria chuckled.
What the hell? Who does she think she's underestimating? Jack thought indignantly. I could knock you out, you know! Want me to prove it?!
With that, Jack swiftly lifted Maria, draping one of her legs over his shoulder. Just as he reached out to grab her chest to prove his "capabilities," a murderous aura froze him in his tracks.
Standing behind them, Yamato rested her kanabo on her shoulder, glaring at Jack with a look that could kill. Beads of sweat formed on Jack's forehead as he stammered nervously:
"Wait! I can explain! Maria... Maria got a cramp! I was just helping her stretch!"
"Yamato! Don't be hasty! Put down the kanabo and calm your Haki!" Maria pushed Jack away, shielding her eyes as she ran behind Yamato, pretending to cry:
"Yamato-chan! Jack was bullying me! Uuu... uuu..."
"Maria! You—!"
"Die, you perverted elephant!" Yamato roared.
BAM!
Downstairs, Master and Rim suddenly felt something plummet from above. They instinctively leapt aside as a loud crash shook the ground.
BOOM!
When the dust settled, Jack's body lay embedded in a Jack-shaped crater in the earth. As the two looked on in stunned silence, Jack nonchalantly climbed out of the pit, brushing himself off as if nothing had happened.
"I'm just working out. Nothing to be alarmed about!" he declared.
Rim stepped closer to the crater, examining it in amazement before turning to Master. Master followed, and together, they called out to Jack as he trudged back inside the building:
"Jack-sama, are you alright?!"
"There's a huge steel bar in that crater!"
"Of course I'm fine!" Jack snapped back. "I told you, it's intentional! I've been training for this! I knew it was going to happen!"
He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye, though his face betrayed more pain than pride, and hurried upstairs.
Rim stood at the edge of the pit, staring in awe at the steel bar lodged at its center. He looked up at Jack's retreating figure, his voice filled with admiration:
"Incredible. Jack-sama's even trained himself to endure this kind of thing!"
"No wonder he's so strong at such a young age!" Rim continued. "I'll have to ask Jack-sama for tips on strengthening myself in that area too! That way, I won't have to worry about dirty tricks in a fight!"
Hearing this, Master playfully hit Rim's shoulder, her voice turning coquettish:
"Ugh! You're so naughty! Stop it already!"
Huh? What did I say wrong? Rim blinked in confusion at Master's reaction.
Meanwhile, back in Onigashima, Kaido was free from any concerns. With his three All-Stars—King, Jack, and Queen—and Black Maria managing everything on the island like clockwork, there was little to worry about.
Kaido spent his days looking for fights, starting with the agents sent by the World Government to deal with Jack. No one knew how Kaido got wind of their presence, but it didn't matter. That time, Kaido lost the battle.
If it hadn't been for the Fish-Man Squad following him with his Vivre Card, Kaido might have spent another month at the bottom of the sea. In fact, Jack had noticed a pattern: since the Fish-Men joined, Kaido had been taking even greater risks.
He targeted opponents that were anything but easy, even destroying three naval bases in the New World. Though Kaido was often overwhelmed by Marine forces, they still couldn't capture him. Regular Seastone chains barely restrained him, and even the most advanced Marine prisons couldn't hold him without catastrophic consequences.
As for other pirates, their fate depended on Kaido's mood. The Fish-Men recounted one particularly ridiculous incident: Kaido, drunk as usual, flew off into the sky. When they found him the next day using his Vivre Card, Kaido was sleeping soundly on a pirate ship. The crew had attacked him so fiercely that their swords were blunted and they'd collapsed in exhaustion, while Kaido snored loudly enough to shake the deck.
On the seas, Whitebeard might be known as the "Strongest Man in the World," but Kaido had personally challenged the Whitebeard Pirates three times this year alone.
At first, Whitebeard fought him seriously, defeating Kaido after days of intense battle. But even Whitebeard couldn't kill him. To avoid a direct conflict with the Beast Pirates, Whitebeard eventually left Kaido stranded on an island.
By the second challenge, Whitebeard's commanders joined the fray and subdued Kaido together.
When Kaido showed up a third time, Whitebeard, tired of his antics, simply punched him into the sea and sailed away.
Kaido's unkillable nature had already been proven many times. Even Whitebeard, who initially tried to put an end to Kaido, gave up in the face of his near-invincible defense.
Rather than waste time on an unkillable drunkard, Whitebeard decided to focus on raising more "sons" and left Kaido to his own devices. Other pirates weren't so lucky, Kaido targeted them relentlessly, flying across the Grand Line and leaving chaos in his wake.
His exploits earned him an ominous title from the world: The Strongest Creature in Land, Sea, and Air!
Kaido's reputation spread far and wide, aided by the Fish-Men's reports, and even Jack couldn't help but admire his captain's insanity.
But Jack also began to understand Kaido's true intentions. It wasn't just about strengthening the Beast Pirates or crushing challengers. Kaido sought to push his immortality to its limits, striving for a new level of power.
Jack found himself wondering: If Kaido manages to break through, just how impenetrable would his defense become? Would I reach that level too someday?
However, as the Fire Festival approached and Kaido found yet another excuse to thrash him, Jack couldn't help but smirk bitterly.
Serves you right. That's what you get for bullying underlings!
Finally, karma exists!
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+165 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg